Mandela’s Way Book Summary - Mandela’s Way Book explained in key points

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Mandela’s Way summary

Name: Mandela’s Way
Rating: 4.5 (20 reviews)
Author: Richard Stengel

Richard Stengel

Lessons on Life

4.5 (20 ratings)

21 mins

Table of Contents

Mandela’s Way
summarized in 12 key ideas

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Key idea 1 of 12

What’s in it for me? Learn how to live and to lead from probably the most well-loved figure of the twentieth century.

Many of us have wondered how Nelson Mandela continued to show high levels of love and compassion throughout his life, despite the many setbacks he faced. Faced with years of living in hiding, with prison and defamation, perhaps most of us would become bitter and filled with hatred. But not Mandela. How did he do this?

This book will show you the leadership and people skills of the first black president of South Africa. It will provide you with the key principles from Nelson Mandela’s life, showing how he became the man he was.

Among other things you will discover how Mandela treated the man who wanted to execute him, why he washes another prisoner’s chamber pot, why he insisted on wearing a three-piece suit and why he learned the rules to rugby.

Courage is not fearlessness. Courage is learning to cope with fear.

At certain times, we all wish we had been born “naturally” courageous. But none of us is born without fear. The same was true for Nelson Mandela; he learned at an early age that he was not born fearless – fear was something he would have to learn to deal with.

Dealing with our fears – being courageous – is a choice and it was at age 16 that Mandela first made this choice.

He was 16 when he participated in a traditional Xhosa initiation ceremony – lining up with other boys to be circumcised by a frightening man wielding a large blade. Each boy bravely shouted, “I am a man,” immediately after being “chopped,” but when it was Mandela’s turn, the agony forced him to hesitate for some moments before he could shout out those symbolic words.

This humiliating experience convinced him that he was not born with courage, but he pledged to himself that he would never again falter – he would learn to conquer his fears.

Conquering fear means looking strong, even when you are afraid. Pretending to be brave is bravery. Mandela showed this time and time again. He became a great leader simply by always appearing courageous.

A great example of this was a flight in a small plane across South Africa when an engine failure forced an emergency landing. The bodyguard who’d accompanied him during the flight afterwards described with amazement how calm Mandela had been while their lives were endangered. He simply read the newspaper. Mandela himself, however, later confessed in private that he’d been truly terrified but refused to show it!

Because courage is a choice, everyone can be courageous. It doesn’t mean risking your life. It means learning to cope with your anxieties and fears every day. Mandela’s ability to hide his fear was calming and comforting to many of his companions and followers; it is an inspiring leadership trait that we can all develop.

When faced with difficult circumstances, learn to think and act in a calm, measured way.

It is admirable to be in control of yourself in tense situations. And one of the main expectations of leaders is that they always remain calm and act appropriately.

Such measured behavior may not be our natural temperament, but it is something we can develop through exercising self-discipline – a skill that Mandela knew he needed to be a successful leader.

No matter what, stick to your core principles – everything else can be negotiated.

Few people realize what a pragmatist Mandela was. He would always re-think and re-work his strategies according to changing conditions.

But not all principles are equal. It is important to decide which are indispensable and which are negotiable.

Nothing in life is black and white – accept life’s contradictions.

Being a complex, multifaceted man, Mandela harbored various contradictions and he was OK with that.

We too should realize that inconsistency is not a flaw: all of us are complex and it is natural that we have a variety of sometimes contradictory motives. Once, when asked about his motives for leading the anti-apartheid armed struggle – was it because nonviolence wasn’t working, or was it to prevent the ANC from falling apart? – Mandela answered, “Why not both?” As he saw it, most actions arise from multiple motives and not all are clear.

Lead from the front: take the initiative, take risks and make sure you’re seen to be leading.

Mandela was always willing to take risks. One of the reasons he did this was because he wanted people to see that, as their leader, he would take risks on their behalf.

Mandela knew that leadership is often a display, and by showing people his capacity to lead he won trust, admiration and loyalty from his supporters.

Great leaders don’t just lead from the front; they also guide from the back.

Being up front and spearheading a movement certainly allows you to enjoy the limelight. But the limelight also has to be shared. Sometimes leaders have to move to the rear and empower others to lead.

Leading from the rear was something Mandela learned from the age of eight, as a cattle herder. He used to put some of the cleverer cattle up at the front of the herd, and then steer from the back, using a stick. Although the herd would follow the leading cattle, it was in fact the boy at the back who was guiding them all. Mandela saw this as a metaphor for how to lead people.

Appearances matter: leadership is about looking the part.

Mandela was always concerned with his appearance – he wore clothes that suited his role, like battle fatigues when he became a military leader, smart suits when he was a lawyer, and eventually colorful shirts when he’d been president for a while, to show that African clothing was as dignified as Western clothing. He knew how important it is to “look the part."

What he realized is that everyone judges a book by its cover – appearances do matter. Therefore making a good first impression is important.

Because life is a long game, always take a long-term perspective.

Most of us tend to be impatient. Some even mistake impulsive behavior for “quick thinking” and being proactive. Mandela, similarly, was impatient as a young man. He wanted things to change immediately.

But 27 years in prison taught him to slow down, and to realize that, since racism, colonialism and apartheid had formed over a long period of time, it would take many years to dismantle them.

Always seeing the good in others is not naive; it is the best way to bring out their good side.

Despite decades of hardship and ill treatment in apartheid South Africa, Mandela was extraordinarily positive in his assessment of most people – even some of those who had oppressed him.

This was because he knew that no one should be judged entirely by their behavior – social pressure and ignorance can make people do terrible things, but this does not make them purely evil. He therefore rarely spoke ill of someone and preferred to see the good.

Life brings you into many confrontations, so get to know your opponents well.

Mandela learned from his boxing coach in the 1950s that beating the opponent was not just about being fit and throwing good punches. It was also about knowing your opponent – his habitual movements and reactions during a fight.

In a similar way, this insight applies in the political arena. For most of his life, Mandela’s biggest “enemy” were the Afrikaners who maintained apartheid.

Keep a close eye on your “friendly rivals” – you never know whether they’re with you or against you.

In some ways friends and enemies are equally reliable – the first are always with you, the second are always against you. But friendly rivals are somewhere in between. More than anyone else, they’re the ones you should keep close by you so that you can anticipate their next move.

Don’t just prepare for the unexpected; prepare for the expected. You can always expect your rivals to challenge you – be prepared for it.

Saying no can be very difficult, but if it has to be done, say it clearly and firmly.

Mandela liked to please people as much as possible. He made sure everyone experienced “the whole Mandela”: the radiant smile, the courtesy, the openness to all sides of an argument. But what he did not do was deceive people just to please them. This means that he knew when he had to say no, even if saying it would disappoint others.

Many of us are insecure and apologetic when we try to say no. This insecurity can easily be used against us. It is therefore essential to be clear and firm – not ambivalent – when we feel that no is the only right answer.

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What is Mandela’s Way about?

This book is about the inspiring personality traits of Nelson Mandela. It shows us how to develop a similar strength of character, so that, no matter what obstacles life throws in our path, we can overcome the challenges, forgive our oppressors, understand the complexity of human nature, fight for our core principles and thereby succeed in changing society for the better.

Who should read Mandela’s Way?

Anyone in a leadership position who wishes to learn about great leadership
Anyone who wishes to learn how to face the trials of life
Anyone who wants to know how Nelson Mandela became one of the most inspirational figures of the twentieth century

About the Author

Richard Stengel is the co-author of Mandela’s bestselling autobiography – Long Walk to Freedom – and was a close friend to him. For three years he spent almost every day with Mandela, sharing some of his most intimate and challenging moments.

Categories with Mandela’s Way

Biography & Memoir

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